Stay With Me
by Roving Otter
Summary: An ordinary camping trip turns dangerous when Lee is bitten by a venomous spider. It's up to Gai to save him before the poison claims his life.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This takes place before the start of the series, soon after Lee becomes a Genin. No actual shounen ai (since Lee is twelve in this story), but it's basically about his bond with Gai.

* * *

"One thousand three hundred and sixty-four…one thousand three hundred and sixty-five…" Maito Gai paused in mid-pushup to catch his breath. Sweat dripped from his face and soaked into the dirt below. "One thousand three hundred and…"

A twig snapped in the nearby forest.

He froze, looked up and saw Lee standing near the edge of the clearing, half-hidden behind a tree.

Gai stood, wiped his brow with one sleeve and faced his student, hands planted on his hips. "What's up, Lee?"

Lee stepped forward. The twelve-year-old Genin wore his usual white tunic and dark pants, and he held his arms behind his back. "I am sorry, Gai Sensei. I did not mean to interrupt your training."

"No problem. You know I always have time for my students." He smiled and gave Lee a thumbs up. "Anything you need?"

"Nothing, really. I just wondered if I could train with you for awhile."

"You know it's spring break, right? All Genin are excused from training for the next week."

"I know. But…" He shuffled his feet. "I do not know what to do with myself when I am not training."

Gai chuckled. _You really are so much like me. _"Well, you're welcome to finish my morning workout with me, but I'll only be here for another hour. After that, I'm leaving Konoha."

"Leaving?" Lee's eyes widened. "Why?"

"It's just for a few days. I'm going camping in the mountains."

"Oh. Like a vacation?"

"I don't consider it a vacation so much as a form of training. Surviving in the wilderness is a powerful test of a man's abilities. That's why I don't intend to bring any provisions. I'll only eat what I can find."

Lee's eyes brightened. "It sounds exciting."

Gai nodded. "I do it every year. It makes me stronger."

"I will train extra hard, so when you return, I will be stronger too."

"Excellent! Er…but don't spend the entire break training alone, all right? Forging bonds with your fellow ninja is important. You should take this opportunity to spend time with your teammates."

"Everyone I know has other plans, it seems. Tenten is going away to visit some relatives, and Neji…well, he just said he is busy." Lee bowed his head, shoulders drooping. Then he looked up and gave Gai a strained smile. "But I am sure I will find ways to fill my time. I guess I will see you in a few days."

Gai cleared his throat. "Of course…if you really wanted, I suppose you could come with me…"

"Really? You'd let me?"

"Well, why not? You'll have to learn about wilderness survival at some point. This will give you a head start." He rotated one arm, stretching out the kinks in his muscles. "Just let me finish my workout, and we'll get ready."

* * *

An hour later, they left Konoha and set off toward the mountains, packs strapped to their backs. They'd each brought a change of clothes, a bedroll, a blanket, a canteen, half a dozen kunai apiece, and nothing more. They'd been walking for a few hours when Lee's stomach rumbled.

"Hungry?" asked Gai.

He nodded.

Gai led him to a shallow stream and crouched. "Then let's catch some breakfast."

"But we don't have a fishing line."

"A ninja makes his own tools, or improvises with what he has. Watch this." He pulled a kunai out of his pouch and held it over the stream.

For several minutes, he didn't move.

"Sensei, what…"

"Shh."

Lee covered his mouth with both hands and fell silent.

Another ten minutes went by. Then a pale, speckled fish swam past. The kunai moved in a blur. There was a splash, then Gai pulled the knife out of the stream. The fish flopped, impaled on the knife's point. "And that's how you catch a fish." He pulled the fish off the knife and set it aside. "Of course, there are other ways, but most of them waste chakra. If you're not in a hurry, this is the best method. All it takes is patience and precision."

Lee pulled a pencil and a small, well-worn notebook from his pocket. He flipped the notebook open and began writing as Gai continued: "This method also functions as a form of meditation and a test of self-discipline. You must learn to keep your mind focused, alert and free of distracting thoughts. You must be able to sit still for hours, if necessary, yet react instantly when you see a fish. Now, you try. Ready?"

Lee nodded and closed his notebook. "I'm ready." He took the knife and crouched.

Time passed. His legs began to tingle with the onset of numbness. He shifted, trying to ease the discomfort. A fish flitted past. Too late, the knife plunged down and splashed into the water, and the fish vanished. Lee bit his lower lip.

"Try again."

Lee took a deep breath and stared into the water, determined not to let his concentration waver. His empty stomach rumbled and whined. He felt Gai's eyes on his back. _Sensei is watching me. I won't fail this time. _He took a deep breath and peered into the water, straining his eyes, willing a fish to appear. His eyes soon grew tired. He blinked rapidly as they slid in and out of focus.

A fish swam past. _Splash. _The knife came down, then came up empty.

"Again," said Gai.

Lee crouched, staring into the stream. His legs hurt. His stomach hurt. When they'd first left Konoha, he'd looked forward to catching his own food, but now he began to wish they'd just brought lunch. A rice ball sounded really good right now. How long had he been sitting here, watching the stream? Two hours? Three?

A flash of scales roused him from his reverie. He stabbed, missing the fish by inches.

Lee stood and clenched his fists, breathing hard. He trembled with frustration.

"Easy," said Gai.

"Sorry," Lee mumbled. His shoulders sagged. "I'm no good at this."

"Did you expect to do it perfectly on your first try?"

"No…but…"

"I know it isn't easy," said Gai, his voice gentle. "You're tired and sore from holding that position for so long. You're getting hungrier and hungrier with each passing moment…and you're embarrassed because I'm watching you and you haven't produced any results. Is that right?"

Lee looked down, his cheeks hot, and nodded.

"But you have to set all that aside, because the more agitated you become, the more aware you are of the feelings in your body and the thoughts in your head, the more difficult your task will be."

"But it's getting late, and…"

"Don't worry about the time. It will take however long it takes. What matters is not the amount of time that passes or the number of times you miss. What matters is that you keep trying."

Lee took a deep breath and nodded. Crouching, he turned his attention to the stream once more. Everything else fell away as he relaxed his mind. He watched, breathing slowly, every fiber of his being focused on the task.

He saw a flicker of movement in the water and reacted like a machine: as soon as the fish's shape entered his field of vision, his hand snapped down. When he pulled the knife out of the water, he saw a wriggling silver fish impaled on its point.

Lee laughed aloud, leaped to his feet and jumped up and down. "I did it!"

Gai boomed out laughter. "So you did." He clapped Lee on the shoulder. "Good job, Lee."

Lee blushed. "Thank you, Sensei."

* * *

Later, after cooking and eating the fish, they resumed their trek through the forest. The mountains loomed ahead, gray, solid and big enough to fill the sky. Behind them, the fiery glow of sunset seeped through the trees as the trail led them higher, through the foothills.

"I hope you don't mind me being here," said Lee. "I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense. You're never a bother."

"I am glad you let me come with you. The truth is, I was dreading spring break a bit."

"Why's that?"

"Well, I do not have a family. I do not have many friends either. Whenever there is a break from training, I end up staying at home alone while everyone else spends time with the people they love. It is a little depressing. I do not mean to complain," he added quickly. "I am just happy not to be alone this time."

"Well, I'm happy to have you with me." He reached over and ruffled Lee's hair.

It _was _nice to have company, thought Gai. Communing with nature in solitude was all well and good, but one did get hungry for the sound of another voice after awhile…and he could never convince Kakashi to come with him.

They walked for a few minutes in silence. He felt Lee's eyes on him, and turned his head to see his student watching him with an odd, intent expression.

"You look as if you want to say something," said Gai. "What's on your mind?"

"Why are you so kind to me?"

"Why shouldn't I be? You're my student, after all."

"None of the teachers at the Academy ever gave me the time of day. Everyone told me I had no business training to be a ninja. No one has ever believed in me, until you. Why are you different?"

"There's a fire in you. I saw it in your eyes when you spoke of your dream. That fire—that will to succeed—is the most important quality a ninja can have, far more important than talent. If others can't see that potential in you, that's their own problem. Don't pay them any heed. You have remarkable potential."

"You mean that?"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Really and truly, Gai Sensei?"

Gai laughed. Then he looked at Lee's solemn face, and his laughter faded. "I swear to you on my Way of the Ninja and everything I hold dear. I wouldn't say something like that if I didn't believe it."

Lee's eyes widened, then welled up with tears. He blinked them quickly away. "I will not disappoint you, Sensei! I promise! I will justify your faith in me no matter what it takes. I will work hard every day. I will work harder than anyone else in the whole world!"

Gai lay a hand on Lee's shoulder. "I know you will," he said quietly. He looked at the sky. "We should make camp soon. It's getting late."

* * *

After another few minutes of walking, Gai stopped and looked around. "This looks like a good spot." He took off his pack, and Lee followed his example. "Now, we're going to light a fire. You were watching when I made one earlier, weren't you?"

"Yes, Sensei. I think I remember how you did it."

"Good. This time, I want you to try."

Lee hesitated. If he'd known Gai would expect him to do it later, he would have taken notes. Too late now; he'd just have to try his best.

He scooped out a fire pit and gathered the kindling—dry grass, dry leaves, things that would burn easily. With his kunai, he sliced a flat piece of wood from a nearby tree and cut a groove into the wood, then rubbed a stick back and forth across the groove, as he'd seen Gai do before. No matter how hard or fast he rubbed, though, he couldn't seem to produce a spark.

The sun had gone down, and the temperature was dropping rapidly. The chill seeped through Lee's clothes and into his bones, and he began to shiver. He paused to blow on his cold-stung fingers, trying to warm them. Then he clenched his jaws and rubbed harder, determined to do this without help. He thought longingly of a cheerful, glowing fire, thought about warming his hands over the flames.

A spark leaped out and landed on the tinder nest, and a few minutes later, a campfire flickered.

Gai nodded with satisfaction. "Good work."

They ate some berries and wild mushrooms they'd gathered while they walked, while Gai pointed out each plant's properties and explained how to recognize it and differentiate it from the poisonous varieties. Afterward, they sat side by side in the warm glow of the fire.

Gai stretched his arms and sighed. "This is the life, isn't it? Just us and the wilderness and the wide open sky. This is what being a man is all about."

Lee watched his sensei from the corner of his eye. He was so handsome, so confident and strong. It still astonished Lee that someone like Gai Sensei had any interest in someone like him. Yet Gai believed in him. He said that Lee had potential. Maybe that meant he _was _worth something, after all. Maybe that meant he really could become a splendid ninja if he tried hard enough.

A cold breeze rustled Lee's hair. He shivered and rubbed his bare arms, wishing he'd worn something with longer sleeves.

"Cold?"

"A little."

Gai pulled a blanket from his pack and draped it around Lee's shoulders.

Lee couldn't have said why, but something about that simple gesture made him so happy he wanted to cry. A lump rose into his throat, and tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.

"Lee? Something wrong?"

He looked away, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand, and shook his head. "I'm fine."

* * *

They slept under the stars that night, nestled in their bedrolls. Lee woke before dawn, his bladder full and aching, and wandered into the nearby forest to relieve himself.

Once he'd finished, he hitched up his pants and fastened his belt…then felt a sharp sting in one hand and looked down to see a fat spider crawling across his wrist. Grimacing, he flicked his hand, and the spider flew off into the underbrush.

Lee returned to the campsite and studied his hand in the firelight. The bite itself didn't look too serious, but the skin around it itched and burned. He sighed. Maybe in the morning, he'd tell Gai Sensei about it, but it probably wasn't worth waking him up for.

Lee crawled back into his bedroll and closed his eyes.

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

Gai woke to the sound of birds chirping. He sat up, stretched, and grinned as he stared at the bright blue sky. "A wonderful morning, eh, Lee? Lee?"

He turned to see his student still bundled up in his bedroll. Gai stood, approached, and crouched beside him. "Lee, it's morning. Rise and shine."

Lee let out a faint moan.

A chill crawled up Gai's spine. Lee was never this difficult to wake up. Gently, he pulled back the top of the bedroll to reveal Lee's face.

Lee was flushed, shivering and drenched in sweat, his eyes closed and ringed by dark flesh.

Gai patted his cheek. "Lee, can you hear me?"

Lee's eyes opened a sliver. "Sensei," he murmured, "I do not feel good."

Gai placed a hand against Lee's forehead. He was burning hot.

"I feel so cold. So weak." His breath rattled in his throat, raspy and faint. "I do not know what is wrong with me."

"Hm. Well, you have a fever." Gently, Gai lifted Lee's eyelid with a thumb. "And your pupils are dilated."

"Is that bad?"

"I think you might have a flu, that's all." He felt the pulse in Lee's throat. It was rapid and weak. He frowned. Lee had been fine last night. The flu could come on suddenly, he knew, but this was a little extreme. "Did anything happen, Lee? Were you bitten by anything?"

"Spider," he murmured.

"Where?"

"My hand."

Gai pulled Lee's hands out of the bedroll, and a jolt of shock ran through him. On the back of Lee's right hand was a tender-looking red lump the size of an egg. The entire hand was swollen and tinged an ominous shade of pink. _Poison._ Gai's heartbeat quickened. "When did this happen?"

"Last night."

"You should have told me sooner. Spider bites are easier to deal with if they're treated right away."

"I…I did not want to bother you. I did not think it was important." Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. "I am sorry."

Gai took a deep breath. "It's all right. We need to get you back to the village as soon as possible." He strapped a pack onto his back, then pulled Lee out of the bedroll and lifted him into his arms.

"I can walk," murmured Lee.

"We'll move faster if I'm carrying you." That, and if Lee moved around too much, the poison would circulate faster through his system. "Just rest."

"I do not want to be a burden…"

"Nonsense. For a man of my strength, carrying you is nothing." He smiled, trying to hide his worry, and leaped into the air.

He bounded from tree to tree, Lee cradled in his arms. Yesterday, they'd been walking at a leisurely pace. Traveling at full speed, he could make it back to Konoha in four, perhaps three hours.

Muscle spasms shook Lee. His small body radiated a feverish heat, and his chest heaved with each raspy breath. "Hard to…breathe," he whispered. "Hurts."

"Just breathe slowly and try to relax."

Lee nodded. For awhile, he remained silent, shivering in Gai's arms. "Sensei," he murmured, "is it getting darker?"

"No."

"Then my vision is failing," he said, his voice strangely calm.

Gai looked down into Lee's eyes. They stared back, glazed and unfocused. Gai felt as if a cold hand had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. "We'll be there in a few hours, Lee. Just hold on." He held Lee a little tighter.

"Am I dying?" whispered Lee.

"No." He gritted his teeth.

_Release._

His first inner gate opened, and chakra poured through his body. He leaped through the trees with renewed speed and strength. _Faster still…second gate, third gate, release! _Power exploded through him, and pain suffused his body as the flood of chakra ripped through muscle and tendon.

_Fourth gate, release! _His legs carried him so far and fast with each bound, he seemed to be flying. He'd never run so fast in his life.

He prayed it would be enough.

_Hold on, Lee. Please, my dear student, my little friend—don't die. If you die, I'll never forgive myself._

Lee drifted in and out of consciousness. The world was a shadowy blur filled with moving shapes. His body hurt. His head hurt. He was dizzy, and his thoughts kept shifting around in his head, bumping into each other and careening off in different directions. At times, he couldn't remember where he was or what was going on—he just knew that his hand throbbed with a burning heat, that he was sick and half-blind and terribly, terribly frightened.

But through it all, he felt Gai's arms around him, holding him securely, and he felt certain that whatever was happening to him, Gai would make it right again. Gai would not let him fall into the darkness. Gai would keep him safe.

_This is what it feels like to be loved, _he thought, with a dawning sense of wonder.

No one had ever loved him before. He'd always wondered what it would be like, and now he knew. He smiled through the pain and confusion—and thought that if he had to die, he wanted it to be here, in these strong, caring arms.

Then the darkness stole his thoughts again, and for awhile, there was nothing.

Gai arrived at the gates of Konoha in under two hours, the fastest he'd ever made the trip. He rushed straight to the hospital and burst through the doors, panting.

The nurse at the front desk stood up. "What the—"

"Please. My student. He needs help."

"What's the problem?"

"Spider bite. Poisonous. He has a high fever."

Her expression turned serious. "Bring him this way." She led him down a narrow, white hall, to an empty room, where Gai lay Lee down on the hospital bed. "I'll go get the medical ninjas," said the nurse, and hurried out.

Lee moaned. His eyelids flickered, and his eyes rolled back and forth. "Where am I? Gai Sensei?"

"I'm here. You're in the hospital. Everything's going to be all right." He touched Lee's wrist. Lee grabbed his hand and clutched it tight, breathing hard.

"I can't see. I can't see anything."

The fear in his voice cut through Gai's heart like a knife. He stroked Lee's hair. "Just try to relax. They're going to fix you."

Lee gulped. Sweat shone on his face, and his eyes moved in frantic little flickers. "Stay with me, Gai Sensei?" he whispered. "Please?"

"I will. I'm not going anywhere."

The nurse hurried back into the room, followed by two med-ninjas. "Stand aside," said one.

Gai tried to step back, but Lee's grip tightened on his hand. "Lee, it's all right," he whispered. "I won't leave the room, I promise. They just need to examine you."

Lee hesitated, then his grip slowly relaxed. Gai stepped back, and the med-ninjas leaned in. One of them held Lee's eyes open—first the right, then the left—and shone a penlight in. The other med-ninja examined the bite on his hand. Then both ninjas placed their palms over Lee's body, and a blue glow of chakra wreathed their hands and arms. Lee gasped, and his body arched off the bed. As Gai watched, drops of some dark substance seeped from his skin and collected in the air above him.

One of the med-nins opened a jar, and the glob of dark liquid settled into it. "We'll take this to the lab," she said. "Once we know what we're dealing with, we'll know which antidote to use. But we've removed the venom from his system, so his symptoms shouldn't get any worse."

"What about his vision? Do you have any idea when it will return?"

"At this point, it's impossible to say."

The med-nins walked out, leaving him alone with Lee. "Sensei?" Lee's head turned back and forth. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here." He pulled a chair to the bedside, sat, and took Lee's hand again. He lay his other hand on Lee's forehead. "Your fever's gone down." He noticed Lee was still shaking. He pulled the bed-sheets over him and tucked them in around his body.

For a few minutes, Lee said nothing. Then he murmured, "I am sorry."

"For what?"

"I caused you trouble. You were kind enough to let me come with you, and then you had to cut your trip short and rush back to the village because I did something stupid."

"I don't care about the trip, Lee. I just want you to get better. It wasn't your fault you were bitten, anyway. If anything, it's mine. I should have prepared you better. I should have told you what to do if this happened."

"N-no, it—it was not your fault." He gulped. "Is my vision going to come back?"

"Of course it will. They're preparing an antidote for you right now. Once you take that, everything will be fine." He smoothed a few strands of sweat-damp hair from Lee's brow.

Minutes later, the door opened, and Gai fell silent as one of the med-ninjas walked in. She held a hypodermic in one hand. Gai breathed a sigh of relief. "She's here with the antidote, Lee."

The med-nin swabbed Lee's arm with iodine and injected the clear liquid. "This should bring down his fever and stop the chills and muscle spasms."

"What about my eyesight?" Lee asked.

She hesitated. "At this point, it's difficult to say what will happen. It may return at any moment, or…"

"Or what?"

"I'll be honest with you. The venom is a potent neurotoxin. Left in the body long enough, it can damage certain areas of the brain—in this case, the areas that process visual information. If the damage is bad enough…"

"You are telling me I might be blinded for life?" His voice trembled.

"It's a possibility. I'm sorry. But we don't know anything for sure yet."

Gai clenched his jaw. "That's not going to happen, Lee."

Lee's breathing had quickened. "If I am blind," he said softly, "I cannot be a ninja. Can I?" His hands tightened on the bed sheets.

"Your vision is going to return."

"And if it does not?" said Lee. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"It _will _return," Gai said firmly. He stood and glared at the med-nin. "Tell him his sight will return!"

She tensed. "I'm just giving him the truth."

"If he wants it enough, if he believes hard enough, it will return!"

"All right. All right." She paused, glancing at Lee. "I'm going to go back to the lab. I need to run a few more tests." She left the room.

Gai clenched his fists. "Don't listen to her, Lee. You'll get better. You—" A wave of dizziness washed over him, and his vision grayed out. Gai groaned, swayed on his feet, fell and hit the floor with a thud. His head spun.

Of course, he thought. He'd opened four of his inner gates. He'd been too focused on Lee to feel the pain until now, but he'd ripped up his body pretty badly.

"Gai Sensei!" Lee cried. Eyes wide, he rolled off the bed, hit the floor and crawled toward Gai. He reached out blindly, grasping at thin air, until his hand touched Gai's shoulder. "Are you okay?" He was breathing fast, almost hyperventilating.

"I'm fine, Lee." Groaning, he sat up. "I just over-exerted myself. A little rest and I'll be back on my feet."

"You're hurt…" His hand tightened on Gai's shoulder, clutching his jumpsuit. "I can hear pain in your breathing. You hurt yourself to get me here in time."

Gai chuckled hoarsely. "I'm a Jonin. A little pain is nothing. Losing you would have hurt much more."

"Sensei…" Shaking, Lee hid his face against Gai's chest.

"Lee," Gai said, startled. "What's wrong?"

"When—when I heard you collapse, I was scared." He gulped, his face still hidden against Gai's jumpsuit. "I do not want to lose you, Sensei. If anything happens to you, I will be all alone again. I cannot go back to that. It hurts too much. Please do not leave me."

Gai stared down at Lee's dark-haired head. This boy…

No one had ever loved this boy. Orphaned, he'd grown up surrounded by people who told him that he was worthless. No wonder he was so eager to please, so hungry for acknowledgment. No wonder he hung onto Gai's every word. His heart had been starving until now.

Gai lay a hand on Lee's head and ruffled his hair. "Lee? May I ask you a personal question?"

Lee lifted his head, his wide, sightless eyes shining with tears.

"Has anyone ever held you?"

"I—I do not remember. Maybe at the orphanage, when I was very small…but not since I started at the Ninja Academy."

"Do you want me to hold you now?"

Lee's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened. Slowly, he nodded.

Gai wrapped his arms around Lee and hugged him close against his chest. Lee hugged him back so tightly he could almost hear his ribs creak under the strain.

It occurred to Gai that he himself hadn't been held for many years—not since his parents died. In general, a ninja's life didn't contain a lot of hugging. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it.

Gai held Lee's head to his shoulder. "I won't leave you," he whispered. "That's a promise."

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

For the next five days, Lee remained in the hospital. Though the venom had been removed from his bloodstream, the effects still lingered: he was weak, tremors and muscles spasms still wracked his body, and there were moments when he became disoriented and frightened and didn't seem to know where he was.

Through it all, Gai stayed by his side and talked to him, trying to distract him from his fear, to make him smile. During Lee's darkest moments, when his spirits were low and nothing else seemed to help, Gai held him.

On the morning of Lee's sixth day in the hospital, Gai arrived to find him sitting up in bed, staring into space, his eyes wide and empty. Gai pulled up a chair and sat, and Lee's head turned toward him. "Hello? Who is there?"

"It's me. Good morning, Lee. How are you feeling?"

"Better. The nurse said my fever is gone. I still feel a little weak, but otherwise, I am almost back to normal. But…" His hands curled slowly into fists, and his shoulders trembled. "My sight has still not returned."

"It will. Just be patient."

"You keep saying that. But the medical ninja told me that if my vision did not return within a few days, it probably would not return at all. I do not know who to believe." His voice sounded small and miserable.

"Doctors aren't always right. They deal with hard facts and data, things that can be measured and analyzed. But the human spirit has a power that goes beyond all of that. You can recover if you truly believe you can."

"You do not have to lie to make me feel better, Sensei," Lee said quietly.

"I have never lied to you, Lee. I believe your sight will return. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it."

Lee was silent a moment, gripping the bed sheets tightly in his fists. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I am so scared, Sensei. I—I do not want to be blind." He buried his face in his hands. "I want to see the sky again. I want to see Konoha. I want to see your face. I want to see you smiling at me."

"You will."

"They told me…"

"Forget what they said." He reached out and framed Lee's face between his hands, tilting it toward him. Tear-tracks shone on Lee's cheeks as Gai stared into those wide, blank eyes. "Look at me."

"I cannot."

"Look at me," he repeated, his voice gentle and calm.

Fresh tears spilled from Lee's eyes. "Why are you asking me to do that when you know I cannot? Please, Sensei...I...I _want _to, but this is not like training. My effort will not make a difference."

Gai's heart twisted painfully, but he didn't let up. "Yes it will." He held Lee's face tighter. "Look at me, Lee."

Lee let out a small, choked sob.

"Oh, Lee--" He felt tears sliding down his own face. "I would give you my eyes in a heartbeat if it would make any difference, but it wouldn't. Because there's nothing wrong with your eyes."

"I know. They--they said it is my brain, that there is something wrong with my brain--but that is even harder to fix. They said nothing can be done--"

"They don't know that. Stop thinking about them. Focus on my voice. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes...I think so...but..."

"Listen. You're in a dark place right now. I can guide you out of the darkness, but you have to come to me."

"Gai Sensei--I--I do not understand."

"You don't have to. Just relax and focus on my voice. This is just like catching a fish--you remember me teaching you how to do that? You have to clear your mind. Let your thoughts drift away and just listen."

Lee took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're moving through the darkness toward my voice. Come to me. Come back into the light. Let my voice guide you. Follow it into the light." He kept talking, repeating the words, letting his voice fall into a gentle, hypnotic cadence. He heard Lee's breathing slow, saw the tension seep out of his body as a look of calm concentration slipped over his face. "Close your eyes."

Lee's eyes closed.

"Now open them again, slowly."

Lee's lids lifted, and his dark pupils moved back and forth, as if searching for something. Gai looked into those eyes and saw something change deep inside them_, _like a tiny flicker of light at the bottom of a dark well.

"That's it, Lee."

"I…I can see _something_…it's hazy, but…"

"Just keep trying. I believe in you. Try for me."

Lee's eyes focused on Gai's face. He blinked a few times, his expression dazed and bewildered, the face of a sleepwalker waking in a strange place. Then his eyes widened. "Gai Sensei," he gasped, "I can see you! I can see!"

Tears of relief welled in Gai's eyes. He smiled at Lee and held his student's face between his hands for another moment, then pulled him into a tight hug. "I knew you could do it."

"You were right." Lee hugged him back. "Oh, Sensei, thank you! I do not know what you did or how you did it, but thank you!"

"It wasn't me, Lee. It was you. You made it happen. You just needed a little guidance, that's all." Gai closed his eyes and silently thanked God. Maybe Lee _had _done it, but even so, what had just happened could only be described as a miracle.

And if there was any child who deserved a miracle or two, it was Rock Lee.

* * *

They left the hospital together that day and returned to the training field. Gai was surprised to see Neji and Tenten standing there, arms crossed over their chests. He counted the days in his head. Ah, right. Spring break ended today.

"You're late," said Neji.

"You're never late," said Tenten. "What happened?"

"Er, well…" Gai glanced at Lee. "We just got back, actually."

"From where?"

Lee and Gai exchanged another look.

"Camping," said Lee.

"Camping?" Neji frowned.

"I go every year," said Gai. "I invited Lee along with me this time, since he didn't have plans. I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

"Never mind." Neji sighed. "Let's just get started."

* * *

After a long day of training, they dispersed. Neji and Ten-ten returned to their homes. Lee and Gai lingered in the training field a little longer, doing cool-down stretches.

"How are you feeling?" Gai asked.

"Much better. My vision is fine, too. You were right, Gai Sensei. You said it would come back, and it did."

Gai smiled. The truth was, he hadn't been sure at all. He'd been operating mainly on instinct and desperation when he did what he did...but he'd made Lee believe, and sometimes, belief was enough. The mind and body were connected in mysterious ways, and many times, he'd witnessed ninjas recover from devastating injuries through sheer, stubborn willpower, even after being told they'd never fight again.

He just hoped Lee would never have another scare like this. Being a Shinobi meant so much to him.

Gai reached over and ruffled his student's hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lee."

Lee hesitated, gazing up at him. His cheeks flushed. Then he tackled Gai and hugged him tightly around the waist. Gai tensed, surprised.

Lee stepped back, looking uncertain. "I am sorry. Should I not do that?"

"No—no, it's all right." He pulled Lee into his arms. "There's nothing wrong with wanting a hug."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Lee hugged him back, and warmth filled Gai's chest, as if someone had wrapped a soft, fuzzy blanket around his heart.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Lee tensed and pulled back, and Gai looked up to see Neji standing at the edge of the training field.

"Neji," said Lee, his cheeks flushed pink. He laced his fingers together behind his back and shuffled his feet self-consciously. "I thought you'd gone home."

"I forgot something," he replied, and picked up a pair of nunchaku from the grass. "Don't mind me." He glanced at Gai. "I know he's your favorite, but you could try to make it a little less obvious."

"Neji, that's not..."

"I'm leaving now," said Neji, and turned away.

"Wait, Neji. Don't go," said Lee, and followed Neji across the field. He started to reach out to him, but Neji shot him a look so cold it practically dripped icicles.

"Don't."

"But I was just…"

"I know what you were doing, and I'm warning you now. Don't. I don't like hugging. I don't like being touched. You and Gai can act like moonstruck lovers and exchange looks of soppy adoration all you want, but don't try it with me." He walked away.

Lee stood, looking bewildered and hurt. "What did I do wrong?"

Gai sighed. "Nothing, Lee." He approached and lay a hand on Lee's shoulder. "That's just how he is."

Lee stared at the ground. "He thinks I am weak. Maybe that is why he dislikes me so much." He clenched one fist. "But I am going to get stronger. One day, I will be strong enough to defeat him. Maybe then he will respect me. Maybe then we can be friends. Do you think so?"

"I think that's an admirable goal. But I don't think Neji dislikes you."

Lee frowned, his brow furrowed. "Then why does he always act that way around me?"

"It's complicated." Gai turned. "Let's go back to the village. I'll buy you some ramen on the way, if you like."

Lee followed him. "Sensei? Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me. For staying with me."

Gai looked into his student's eyes, smiled, and lay a hand on his head, gently ruffling his hair. "I'll always be there for you."

-The End


End file.
